The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1887-05-28
MEMORIAL DAY POEM.
COVER THEM OVER.
By WILL. CARLTON.

| Lying 50 silent. by night and by day,
sleeping the years of their manhood away:
Years they had marked for the Joys Of the
brave;
Years they must waste in tho Gloth Of the
grave.
All the bright laurels they fought to make
bio M
Fell 10 the earth when they went to the tomb.
Give them the moed they have won In the
past
| Give them the honors their merits forecast (;
Give them the cha plets they won in tha strife,
Give them the laur- Is they lost with their
life.
Cover them over-ycs, cover them over
Parent, and husband. and brother, and lover.
| Crown in your heart these dead horoes of
ours,
And cover them over with beautiful flowers.
Cover the faces that motionless lie,
| Shut from the blue OF the glorious skie;
Faces ence light with the smiles of the gay
Faces now marred by the frown OF decay
Eyes that beamed friendship and love to your
own
Lips that sweet thoughts of affection made
known
! Brows you have soothed in the day of distress;
Cheeks you have flushed by the tender caress.
| Faces that frightened at wars stirring cry ;
Faces that streamed when they bade you
goodbye;
Faces tthAt gloWed in the ba tiles red fame
Paling for nuught till the death angel camo.
| Cover them ovor-yes. aover them over
Parent. and husband and brother, and lover
Kiss in your heart those dead heroes OF ours
And cover them over with beautiful howOrs.
Cover the hands that are resting half-tried,
! Cros Sed on the boz m of love by the side
Hands to you, III other. in infancy thrown;
Hands that you, father, close hid in yourown
| Hands where you, sister. when tried aud dis
mayed,
Hung for protection. and counsel, and aid (;
Hands that you, brother, for faithfulness
knew;
| Hands that you wife, wrung in bitter slieu.
Bra avely the cross of their country they bore;
Words of devotion they wrote with their gore
Grandly they grasped for a garland of light,
Catching ihe mantle of death-darkcned night.
| Cover them ovcr-yes, cover them over
Parent and husband. and brother, and lover
Clasp in your hearts these dead heroes of
ours.
D..
Cover the feet that, all weary and torn,
Hither by comrades were tendcrly borne
Feet that have trodden through love.liEhted
ways,
Near to your own, in the old happy days;
Feet that have pressed, in lifes opening
morn,
Roses of pleasure and deaths poisoned thorn
I sbadf m ha haI NNe tl,,, he
Firmly they stood in the shock of the fight,
Ne'er shall the cnemy's hurrylng tramp
Summon them forth from their death guard
ed camp;
Fe'er till eternity's bugle shall sound
Will they come out from their couch in the
ground.
Cover them over-ycs cover them over
Parent, and husband, aud brother and lover
Rough were the paths of those heroes oi
Now cover them over with beautiful flowers
Cover the hearts that have beaten so high,
Beaten with hopes that were born but to die
Hearts that have burned in the heat of tn,
Hearts that have yeSrned for the homes IA
away;
Heart, that beat high in the charges loud
tramp
Hearts that low fell in the prisons cold damp
Once they were swelling with courage anC
will,
Now they are lying all pulseless and still
Once they were glowing with friendship anC
love,
Now the great souls have gone soaring abov c
Bruvcly their h!ooi to the Nation they gave
Then in her bosom they found them II grave
Cover them over-yes, cover them over
Parent and husband. and brother, and lover
Press to your hearts these dead heroes oi
ours,
A nd ocver them oven with beautiful flowers
One there is slice ping in yonder low tomb,
Worthy the brightest vi .how'rets that bloom
weakness of womanhoOd's life was her part
Tenderly strong was her generous heart.
Bravely she stood by the sufferers side,
Checking the pain and the line-bearng tide
Fighting gtheswift.sweepingp phantom of death
kasing the dyinh mans iiuttering breath
Then whom the strife that had nerved he
was o'er,
Calmly she went to where wars are no more.
Voices have blessed her now silent and dumb
Voices will bless her in long years TO come.
blessings. like angels, around h, r shall hover
Treasure the name of that sister OF ours.
And cover them over sith beautiful flowers
Cover the thousands that sleep far away
Sleep where their friends cannot find them &c
day;
They who IN mountain and hillside and dell
kest where they wearied, and lie where the
fell.
Softly tho grass-blade creeps round their r'
pose;
Sweetly above them the wild iow'ret blows
Zephyrs of freedom ny gently o'er head.
Whispering names for the patriot dead,
So In our minds we will name them once NOR,
30 in our hearts We will cover them DER